Intelligent control method and system for a wiper and a vehicle

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of vehicle intelligent control technology, and discloses a windshield wiper intelligent control method, system, and vehicle. The windshield wiper intelligent control method includes: acquiring the windshield wiper operating state; acquiring the environmental occlusion state of the area above the vehicle; and controlling the windshield wiper operating state based on the windshield wiper operating state and the environmental occlusion state. Applying the technical solution of this invention can accurately control the timing of windshield wiper opening and closing, reduce the complexity of driving operations, and improve driving safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle intelligent control technology, specifically to a windshield wiper intelligent control method, system, and vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] During driving, drivers need to operate windshield wipers to adapt to different weather and road conditions. Especially in rainy weather and in areas with many tunnels, drivers frequently need to manually turn the wipers on and off when entering and exiting tunnels. This not only distracts the driver and increases the complexity of driving operations, but may also affect driving safety. Currently, some vehicles on the market are equipped with automatic wiper systems, most of which control the start, stop, and speed of the wipers by detecting the amount of rain on the windshield using a rain sensor. The rain sensor determines whether it is raining by how raindrops affect light levels, and then adjusts the wiper mode based on the total amount of light. However, in tunnels or other dimly lit and frequently changing environments, the rain sensor's judgment of light intensity can be affected, easily leading to misjudgments of rainfall. This can cause the wipers to start unnecessarily or continue operating continuously, failing to meet the intelligent and convenient driving needs of vehicles. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of this application is to provide a windshield wiper intelligent control method, system and vehicle, which aims to accurately control the timing of windshield wiper opening and closing, reduce the complexity of driving operation and improve driving safety.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a smart wiper control method, including: Get the working status of the windshield wipers; Obtain the ambient occlusion status of the area above the vehicle; The working state of the windshield wipers is controlled based on the working state of the wipers and the environmental obstruction state.

[0005] With this configuration, when the windshield wipers are on in rainy weather, if there are environmental obstructions above the vehicle that shield it from rain, the wipers can be automatically switched to a temporarily off state. When the vehicle moves out of the obstruction and the area above is no longer obstructed, the wipers will automatically switch back to the on state. This control method is particularly suitable for road sections with many tunnels, as it can effectively reduce the frequency of drivers manually operating the wipers, reduce the complexity of driving operations, and improve driving safety.

[0006] Meanwhile, this method is also applicable to various scenarios where vehicles temporarily stop under obstructions and then leave. For example, when a vehicle enters under the canopy of a toll station lane, the windshield wipers automatically turn off temporarily and turn on automatically after exiting the canopy; when a vehicle enters an underground parking garage, rain shelter, or other obstructed area to pick up or drop off passengers, the windshield wipers automatically turn off temporarily and turn on automatically after exiting the obstructed area; when a vehicle enters an obstructed area such as a lane under a bridge, the windshield wipers automatically turn off temporarily and turn on automatically after exiting the lane under a bridge. This significantly improves the intelligence and ease of operation of vehicle driving and can meet the needs of drivers in different driving scenarios.

[0007] Furthermore, since this application identifies continuous, large-area environmental obstructions that can provide shelter from rain, such as tunnel roofs, tollbooth canopies, bridge bottoms, and garage roofs, the detection of these environmental obstructions is easier and more readily identifiable compared to traditional rainfall detection techniques. This method can accurately control the timing of windshield wiper activation and temporary deactivation, and the control logic does not require the introduction of network or GPS signals. This effectively avoids the shortcomings of windshield wipers failing to respond promptly and accurately due to signal problems in environments with weak or even interrupted signals, such as tunnels and underground garages, further improving control reliability.

[0008] In one possible embodiment, controlling the windshield wiper operating state based on the wiper operating state and the ambient obstruction state includes: When the windshield wipers are in the normally off state, the windshield wiper operating state will not be switched. When the windshield wipers are in the on state, the environmental obstruction state changes from an unobstructed state to an obstructed state, and the duration of the obstruction state is not less than a preset threshold, the windshield wipers are controlled to switch to a temporarily off state. When the windshield wipers are in a temporarily off state and the environmental obstruction state changes from obstructed to unobstructed, the windshield wipers are switched to the on state.

[0009] The windshield wipers operate in three states: on, temporarily off, and normally off. The definitions of each state are as follows: On state means the wiper motor is activated, and the wiper blades move across the windshield via a transmission mechanism to clear rainwater from the glass surface; Temporarily off state means the wipers are temporarily turned off when the vehicle enters an area under an obstruction, preparing for automatic activation after the vehicle exits the obstruction; Normal off state means the wipers are manually turned off by the user in rainless conditions. In this state, the wipers will not automatically switch operating states due to changes in environmental obstruction.

[0010] An environmental occlusion state is defined as having an occlusion state, meaning that there are continuous, large-area environmental occlusions above the vehicle, such as tunnel roofs, toll station canopies, bridge bases, or garage roofs, that can provide rain protection. An environmental occlusion state is defined as not having any of the aforementioned environmental occlusions above the vehicle.

[0011] Corresponding to the above working states, the specific control logic is as follows: When the windshield wipers are in the normally off state, their working state will not switch regardless of changes in the environmental obstruction status above the vehicle. When the windshield wipers are in the on state, and the environmental obstruction status above the vehicle changes from an unobstructed state to an obstructed state, and the duration of this obstructed state is not less than a preset threshold, the windshield wipers are controlled to switch to a temporarily off state. The preset threshold can be set to several seconds, such as 2 seconds. Introducing the duration judgment ensures that the windshield wipers will not temporarily turn off when the vehicle quickly passes over an overpass or other short obstructions, preventing frequent on / off cycles caused by immediate restarting after temporary off. When the windshield wipers are in the temporarily off state, and the environmental obstruction status changes from an obstructed state to an unobstructed state, the windshield wipers are controlled to automatically switch back to the on state. Through the above settings, the normally off state and the temporarily off state of the windshield wipers can be effectively distinguished, avoiding unnecessary automatic start-up or continuous operation of the wipers, and improving the accuracy and rationality of wiper control.

[0012] In one possible embodiment, the method further includes: Get the wiper control mode; When the wiper control mode is automatic control mode, the wiper operation mode is controlled based on the wiper operation status and the environmental obstruction status. When the wiper control mode is manual control mode, a manual control command for the motor is generated based on the user's operation to control the working state of the wiper.

[0013] Users can switch between automatic and manual control modes for the windshield wipers using a mode switch. In manual control mode, the user sends a position signal to the wiper control system's controller by operating the wiper control lever. The controller then generates a manual control command for the motor based on this signal. This command is used to control the wiper motor's on / off state, movement speed, and other functions. This setup prioritizes user-issued control commands in manual mode, ensuring their priority and protecting the user's control, thus enhancing the driving experience.

[0014] In one possible embodiment, obtaining the environmental occlusion state of the area above the vehicle includes: Acquire the reflected echo data formed by millimeter-wave signals emitted towards the area above the vehicle; The reflected echo data is analyzed and processed to extract its feature information; Based on the aforementioned feature information, the environmental occlusion state is determined.

[0015] With this setup, once the millimeter-wave radar is activated, it continuously emits millimeter-wave signals towards the area above the vehicle. During signal propagation, reflections occur when encountering environmental obstructions, such as tunnel roofs, tollbooth canopies, bridge bases, and garage roofs. The millimeter-wave radar receives these reflected echoes in real time and records data such as time delay, frequency changes, signal strength, and density. This data is then sent to the controller of the windshield wiper intelligent control system. The controller analyzes the data, determining the spatial position of the obstruction relative to the vehicle through the echo time delay; judging the object's motion state through echo frequency changes, filtering out dynamic obstructions, retaining stationary ones, and reducing invalid interference from moving objects like falling branches and flying debris; and determining the reflective surface characteristics of the obstruction through echo signal strength and density. Continuous, large-area reflective surfaces produce dense, high-intensity echo signals. When the radar detects no continuous, large-area, rain-proof environmental obstructions above the vehicle, it considers the vehicle's environmental obstruction state to be unobstructed. When the radar detects continuous, large-area environmental obstructions above the vehicle that can provide rain protection, it considers the vehicle's environmental obstruction status to be obstructed.

[0016] During the vehicle development phase, the system can be tested under different weather conditions (rainy days, cloudy days, etc.) and road conditions (tunnels, ordinary roads, etc.). The reflected echo data collected by the millimeter-wave radar is recorded, and the actual weather conditions and road conditions are compared and verified with the environmental obstruction state determined by the controller. Problems with the valve core are improved and optimized in a timely manner to ensure that the controller can accurately identify continuous, large-area environmental obstructions that can provide rain protection, such as tunnel tops, toll station canopies, bridge bottoms, and garage tops.

[0017] Secondly, this application provides a smart control system for a windshield wiper, including a controller and a windshield wiper, wherein the windshield wiper includes a wiper motor; The controller is configured to: acquire the working status of the windshield wipers; acquire the environmental occlusion status of the area above the vehicle; and, based on the working status of the windshield wipers and the environmental occlusion status, send corresponding automatic motor control commands to the windshield wiper motor to control the working status of the windshield wipers. The wiper motor is configured to receive and execute the automatic control commands for the motor. The wiper also includes a transmission mechanism and wiper blades, with the wiper motor driving the wiper blades to move on the vehicle's windshield via the transmission mechanism.

[0018] With this setting, the windshield wipers are temporarily switched off. When the vehicle moves out of the obstruction and the overhead area is no longer obstructed, the wipers are automatically switched back on. This control method is particularly suitable for road sections with many tunnels, which can effectively reduce the frequency of drivers manually operating the wipers, reduce the complexity of driving operations, and improve driving safety.

[0019] Meanwhile, this method is also applicable to various scenarios where vehicles temporarily stop under obstructions and then leave. For example, when a vehicle enters under the canopy of a toll station lane, the windshield wipers automatically turn off temporarily and turn on automatically after exiting the canopy; when a vehicle enters an underground parking garage, rain shelter, or other obstructed area to pick up or drop off passengers, the windshield wipers automatically turn off temporarily and turn on automatically after exiting the obstructed area; when a vehicle enters an obstructed area such as a lane under a bridge, the windshield wipers automatically turn off temporarily and turn on automatically after exiting the lane under a bridge. This significantly improves the intelligence and ease of operation of vehicle driving and can meet the needs of drivers in different driving scenarios.

[0020] Furthermore, since this application identifies continuous, large-area environmental obstructions that can provide shelter from rain, such as tunnel roofs, tollbooth canopies, bridge bottoms, and garage roofs, the detection of these environmental obstructions is easier and more readily identifiable compared to traditional rainfall detection techniques. This method can accurately control the timing of windshield wiper activation and temporary deactivation, and the control logic does not require the introduction of network or GPS signals. This effectively avoids the shortcomings of windshield wipers failing to respond promptly and accurately due to signal problems in environments with weak or even interrupted signals, such as tunnels and underground garages, further improving control reliability.

[0021] In one possible embodiment, the controller is further configured to: When the windshield wiper is in the normally off state, no automatic motor control command is issued; When the wiper is in the on state, the environmental obstruction state changes from an unobstructed state to an obstructed state, and the duration of the obstruction state is not less than a preset threshold, a first motor automatic control command is sent to the wiper motor to control the wiper to switch to a temporary off state. When the windshield wiper is in a temporarily off state and the environmental obstruction state changes from obstructed to unobstructed, a second motor automatic control command is sent to the windshield wiper motor to control the windshield wiper to switch to the on state.

[0022] With this configuration, when the windshield wipers are in their normally off state, their operating state will not switch regardless of changes in the environmental obstruction above the vehicle. When the wipers are on, and the environmental obstruction above the vehicle changes from an unobstructed state to an obstructed state, and the duration of this obstruction is not less than a preset threshold, the wipers are controlled to temporarily turn off. This preset threshold can be set to a number of seconds, such as 2 seconds. Introducing the duration judgment ensures that the wipers will not temporarily turn off when the vehicle quickly passes over an overpass or other short obstruction, preventing frequent on / off cycles caused by temporary off-off followed by immediate on / off. When the wipers are in the temporarily off state, and the environmental obstruction changes from an obstructed state to an unobstructed state, the wipers automatically switch back to the on state. This configuration effectively distinguishes between the normally off and temporarily off states of the wipers, avoiding unnecessary automatic start-up or continuous operation of the wipers, and improving the accuracy and rationality of wiper control.

[0023] In one possible embodiment, the system further includes a mode switching switch configured to switch the wiper control mode between an automatic control mode and a manual control mode. When the wiper control mode is automatic control mode, the wiper operation mode is controlled based on the wiper operation status and the environmental obstruction status. When the wiper control mode is manual control mode, a manual control command for the motor is generated based on the user's operation to control the working state of the wiper.

[0024] By operating the wiper control lever, the user sends a position signal to the controller of the wiper intelligent control system. The controller then generates a manual control command for the motor based on this signal. The wiper intelligent control system controller uses this command to control the wiper motor's on / off state, movement speed, and other functions. This setup prioritizes user-issued control commands in manual control mode, ensuring the user's control and enhancing the driving experience.

[0025] In one possible embodiment, the system further includes a millimeter-wave radar configured to: transmit millimeter-wave signals to an area above the vehicle, collect reflected echo data, and send the reflected echo data to the controller; The controller is further configured to: acquire reflected echo data formed by millimeter-wave signals emitted toward the area above the vehicle; analyze the reflected echo data to extract feature information; and determine the environmental occlusion state based on the feature information.

[0026] With this setup, once the millimeter-wave radar is activated, it continuously emits millimeter-wave signals towards the area above the vehicle. During signal propagation, reflections occur when encountering environmental obstructions, such as tunnel roofs, tollbooth canopies, bridge bases, and garage roofs. The millimeter-wave radar receives these reflected echoes in real time and records data such as time delay, frequency changes, signal strength, and density. This data is then sent to the controller of the windshield wiper intelligent control system. The controller analyzes the data, determining the spatial position of the obstruction relative to the vehicle through the echo time delay; judging the object's motion state through echo frequency changes, filtering out dynamic obstructions, retaining stationary ones, and reducing invalid interference from moving objects like falling branches and flying debris; and determining the reflective surface characteristics of the obstruction through echo signal strength and density. Continuous, large-area reflective surfaces produce dense, high-intensity echo signals. When the radar detects no continuous, large-area, rain-proof environmental obstructions above the vehicle, it considers the vehicle's environmental obstruction state to be unobstructed. When the radar detects continuous, large-area environmental obstructions above the vehicle that can provide rain protection, it considers the vehicle's environmental obstruction status to be obstructed.

[0027] During the vehicle development phase, the system can be tested under different weather conditions (rainy days, cloudy days, etc.) and road conditions (tunnels, ordinary roads, etc.). The reflected echo data collected by the millimeter-wave radar is recorded, and the actual weather conditions and road conditions are compared and verified with the environmental obstruction state determined by the controller. Problems with the valve core are improved and optimized in a timely manner to ensure that the controller can accurately identify continuous, large-area environmental obstructions that can provide rain protection, such as tunnel tops, toll station canopies, bridge bottoms, and garage tops.

[0028] Thirdly, this application provides a vehicle including a windshield wiper intelligent control system.

[0029] The beneficial effects of this application are: (1) When the vehicle is in rainy weather and the windshield wipers are turned on, the windshield wipers can be automatically switched to a temporary off state when there are environmental obstructions in the area above the vehicle to block the rain. When the vehicle drives out of the environmental obstructions and the area above is unobstructed, the windshield wipers can be automatically switched back to the on state. This control method is particularly suitable for road sections with many tunnels, which can effectively reduce the frequency of drivers manually operating the windshield wipers, reduce the complexity of driving operations, and improve driving safety.

[0030] (2) This application applies to various scenarios in which a vehicle temporarily stops under an obstruction and then drives away. For example, when a vehicle enters the area under the canopy of a toll station lane, the windshield wipers automatically turn off temporarily and turn on automatically after the vehicle leaves the canopy; when a vehicle enters an underground garage, rain shelter, or other obstructed area to pick up or drop off passengers, the windshield wipers automatically turn off temporarily and turn on automatically after the vehicle leaves the obstructed area; when a vehicle enters an obstructed area such as a lane under a bridge, the windshield wipers automatically turn off temporarily and turn on automatically after the vehicle leaves the lane under a bridge, etc., which significantly improves the intelligence level and ease of operation of vehicle driving and can meet the needs of drivers in different driving scenarios.

[0031] (3) This application identifies continuous, large-area environmental obstructions that can provide rain protection, such as tunnel tops, toll station canopies, bridge bottoms, and garage tops. Compared with traditional rain detection technologies, environmental obstructions are easier to detect and identify, and can accurately control the timing of windshield wiper activation and temporary shutdown. Furthermore, the control logic does not require the introduction of network signals and GPS signals, which can effectively avoid the defects caused by signal problems in environments with weak or even interrupted signals, such as tunnels and underground garages, where the windshield wipers cannot respond in a timely and accurate manner, thereby further improving control reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0032] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the background art, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments of this application will be described below.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the vehicle structure disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the intelligent wiper control system disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the intelligent wiper control method disclosed in the application form. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and have no sequential or technical meaning, nor should they be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. The term "electrical connection" refers to the flow of current or signal from one conductor to another. An electrical connection between A and B means that current or signal can flow from A to B and vice versa. An electrical connection between A and B includes direct electrical connection and indirect electrical connection. A direct electrical connection between A and B means that A and B are electrically connected through physical contact. An indirect electrical connection between A and B means that A and B are electrically connected through C, where C can be at least one wire or device.

[0035] The embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the vehicle structure disclosed in an embodiment of this application. The vehicle can be, but is not limited to, a pure electric vehicle (PEV / BEV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a range-extended electric vehicle (REEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), or a new energy vehicle. In this embodiment, the vehicle includes a windshield wiper intelligent control system. The windshield wipers of the windshield wiper intelligent control system can be installed near the windshield of the vehicle, the millimeter-wave radar can be installed on the roof of the vehicle, and the controller, wiper control lever, and mode switch can be installed inside the vehicle.

[0037] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the intelligent wiper control system disclosed in this application. The intelligent wiper control system includes a controller, a wiper, a wiper control lever, a mode switch, and a millimeter-wave radar. The wiper includes a wiper motor, a transmission mechanism, and wiper blades. The mode switch is electrically connected to the controller and can change the controller's automatic control mode and manual control mode. The controller is electrically connected to the wiper motor and can send automatic or manual control commands to the wiper motor. The wiper motor, transmission mechanism, and wiper blades are mechanically connected in sequence, and the wiper motor drives the wiper blades to move on the vehicle's windshield through the transmission mechanism. The wiper control lever is electrically connected to the controller and can send a control lever position signal to the controller of the intelligent wiper control system. The millimeter-wave radar is electrically connected to the controller and can send reflected echo data to the controller.

[0038] The controller is configured to: acquire the working status of the windshield wipers; acquire the environmental occlusion status of the area above the vehicle; and, based on the working status of the windshield wipers and the environmental occlusion status, send corresponding automatic motor control commands to the windshield wiper motor to control the working status of the windshield wipers. The wiper motor is configured to receive and execute the motor automatic control command.

[0039] With this setting, the windshield wipers are temporarily switched off. When the vehicle moves out of the obstruction and the overhead area is no longer obstructed, the wipers are automatically switched back on. This control method is particularly suitable for road sections with many tunnels, which can effectively reduce the frequency of drivers manually operating the wipers, reduce the complexity of driving operations, and improve driving safety.

[0040] Meanwhile, this method is also applicable to various scenarios where vehicles temporarily stop under obstructions and then leave. For example, when a vehicle enters under the canopy of a toll station lane, the windshield wipers automatically turn off temporarily and turn on automatically after exiting the canopy; when a vehicle enters an underground parking garage, rain shelter, or other obstructed area to pick up or drop off passengers, the windshield wipers automatically turn off temporarily and turn on automatically after exiting the obstructed area; when a vehicle enters an obstructed area such as a lane under a bridge, the windshield wipers automatically turn off temporarily and turn on automatically after exiting the lane under a bridge. This significantly improves the intelligence and ease of operation of vehicle driving and can meet the needs of drivers in different driving scenarios.

[0041] Furthermore, since this application identifies continuous, large-area environmental obstructions that can provide shelter from rain, such as tunnel roofs, tollbooth canopies, bridge bottoms, and garage roofs, the detection of these environmental obstructions is easier and more readily identifiable compared to traditional rainfall detection techniques. This method can accurately control the timing of windshield wiper activation and temporary deactivation, and the control logic does not require the introduction of network or GPS signals. This effectively avoids the shortcomings of windshield wipers failing to respond promptly and accurately due to signal problems in environments with weak or even interrupted signals, such as tunnels and underground garages, further improving control reliability.

[0042] The controller is also configured to: When the windshield wiper is in the normally off state, no automatic motor control command is issued; When the wiper is in the on state, the environmental obstruction state changes from an unobstructed state to an obstructed state, and the duration of the obstruction state is not less than a preset threshold, a first motor automatic control command is sent to the wiper motor to control the wiper to switch to a temporary off state. When the windshield wiper is in a temporarily off state and the environmental obstruction state changes from obstructed to unobstructed, a second motor automatic control command is sent to the windshield wiper motor to control the windshield wiper to switch to the on state.

[0043] With this configuration, when the windshield wipers are in their normally off state, their operating state will not switch regardless of changes in the environmental obstruction above the vehicle. When the wipers are on, and the environmental obstruction above the vehicle changes from an unobstructed state to an obstructed state, and the duration of this obstruction is not less than a preset threshold, the wipers are controlled to temporarily turn off. This preset threshold can be set to a number of seconds, such as 2 seconds. Introducing the duration judgment ensures that the wipers will not temporarily turn off when the vehicle quickly passes over an overpass or other short obstruction, preventing frequent on / off cycles caused by temporary off-off followed by immediate on / off. When the wipers are in the temporarily off state, and the environmental obstruction changes from an obstructed state to an unobstructed state, the wipers automatically switch back to the on state. This configuration effectively distinguishes between the normally off and temporarily off states of the wipers, avoiding unnecessary automatic start-up or continuous operation of the wipers, and improving the accuracy and rationality of wiper control.

[0044] Optionally, the mode switch is configured to switch the wiper control mode between automatic control mode and manual control mode; When the wiper control mode is automatic control mode, the wiper operation mode is controlled based on the wiper operation status and the environmental obstruction status. When the wiper control mode is manual control mode, the working state of the wiper is controlled based on the manual control command of the motor.

[0045] By operating the wiper control lever, the user sends a position signal to the controller of the wiper intelligent control system. The controller then generates a manual control command for the motor based on this signal. The wiper intelligent control system controller uses this command to control the wiper motor's on / off state, movement speed, and other functions. This setup prioritizes user-issued control commands in manual control mode, ensuring the user's control and enhancing the driving experience.

[0046] Optionally, the millimeter-wave radar is configured to: transmit millimeter-wave signals to the area above the vehicle, collect reflected echo data, and send the reflected echo data to the controller; The controller is further configured to: acquire reflected echo data formed by millimeter-wave signals emitted toward the area above the vehicle; analyze the reflected echo data to extract feature information; and determine the environmental occlusion state based on the feature information.

[0047] With this setup, once the millimeter-wave radar is activated, it continuously emits millimeter-wave signals towards the area above the vehicle. During signal propagation, reflections occur when encountering environmental obstructions, such as tunnel roofs, tollbooth canopies, bridge bases, and garage roofs. The millimeter-wave radar receives these reflected echoes in real time and records data such as time delay, frequency changes, signal strength, and density. This data is then sent to the controller of the windshield wiper intelligent control system. The controller analyzes the data, determining the spatial position of the obstruction relative to the vehicle through the echo time delay; judging the object's motion state through echo frequency changes, filtering out dynamic obstructions, retaining stationary ones, and reducing invalid interference from moving objects like falling branches and flying debris; and determining the reflective surface characteristics of the obstruction through echo signal strength and density. Continuous, large-area reflective surfaces produce dense, high-intensity echo signals. When the radar detects no continuous, large-area, rain-proof environmental obstructions above the vehicle, it considers the vehicle's environmental obstruction state to be unobstructed. When the radar detects continuous, large-area environmental obstructions above the vehicle that can provide rain protection, it considers the vehicle's environmental obstruction status to be obstructed.

[0048] During the vehicle development phase, the system can be tested under different weather conditions (rainy days, cloudy days, etc.) and road conditions (tunnels, ordinary roads, etc.). The reflected echo data collected by the millimeter-wave radar is recorded, and the actual weather conditions and road conditions are compared and verified with the environmental obstruction state determined by the controller. Problems with the valve core are improved and optimized in a timely manner to ensure that the controller can accurately identify continuous, large-area environmental obstructions that can provide rain protection, such as tunnel tops, toll station canopies, bridge bottoms, and garage tops.

[0049] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the intelligent wiper control method disclosed in the application form. This application provides an intelligent wiper control method, including: S1. Obtain the wiper control mode. The user can switch the wiper control mode between automatic control mode and manual control mode using a mode switch.

[0050] S2. When the wiper control mode is automatic control mode, the wiper operation mode is controlled based on the wiper operation state and the environmental obstruction state.

[0051] Specifically, this step includes: S201. Obtain the working status of the windshield wipers.

[0052] The windshield wipers operate in three states: on, temporarily off, and normally off. The definitions of each state are as follows: On state means the wiper motor is activated, and the wiper blades move across the windshield via a transmission mechanism to clear rainwater from the glass surface; Temporarily off state means the wipers are temporarily turned off when the vehicle enters an area under an obstruction, preparing for automatic activation after the vehicle exits the obstruction; Normal off state means the wipers are manually turned off by the user in rainless conditions. In this state, the wipers will not automatically switch operating states due to changes in environmental obstruction.

[0053] S202. Obtain the environmental occlusion status of the area above the vehicle. An environmental occlusion status of "occluded" means that there are continuous, large-area environmental obstructions above the vehicle, such as tunnel roofs, tollbooth canopies, bridge bases, or garage roofs, that can provide rain protection. An environmental occlusion status of "unobstructed" means that there are no such environmental obstructions above the vehicle.

[0054] This step S202 specifically includes: acquiring reflected echo data formed by millimeter-wave signals emitted towards the area above the vehicle; parsing the reflected echo data to extract feature information; and determining the environmental occlusion state based on the feature information.

[0055] With this setup, once the millimeter-wave radar is activated, it continuously emits millimeter-wave signals towards the area above the vehicle. During signal propagation, reflections occur when encountering environmental obstructions, such as tunnel roofs, tollbooth canopies, bridge bases, and garage roofs. The millimeter-wave radar receives these reflected echoes in real time and records data such as time delay, frequency changes, signal strength, and density. This data is then sent to the controller of the windshield wiper intelligent control system. The controller analyzes the data, determining the spatial position of the obstruction relative to the vehicle through the echo time delay; judging the object's motion state through echo frequency changes, filtering out dynamic obstructions, retaining stationary ones, and reducing invalid interference from moving objects like falling branches and flying debris; and determining the reflective surface characteristics of the obstruction through echo signal strength and density. Continuous, large-area reflective surfaces produce dense, high-intensity echo signals. When the radar detects no continuous, large-area, rain-proof environmental obstructions above the vehicle, it considers the vehicle's environmental obstruction state to be unobstructed. When the radar detects continuous, large-area environmental obstructions above the vehicle that can provide rain protection, it considers the vehicle's environmental obstruction status to be obstructed.

[0056] During the vehicle development phase, the system can be tested under different weather conditions (rainy days, cloudy days, etc.) and road conditions (tunnels, ordinary roads, etc.). The reflected echo data collected by the millimeter-wave radar is recorded, and the actual weather conditions and road conditions are compared and verified with the environmental obstruction state determined by the controller. Problems with the valve core are improved and optimized in a timely manner to ensure that the controller can accurately identify continuous, large-area environmental obstructions that can provide rain protection, such as tunnel tops, toll station canopies, bridge bottoms, and garage tops.

[0057] S203. Based on the wiper operating state and the ambient occlusion state, control the wiper operating state. When the wiper is in the normally off state, the wiper operating state is not switched; when the wiper is in the on state, the ambient occlusion state changes from an unobstructed state to an obstructed state, and the duration of the obstruction state is not less than a preset threshold, control the wiper operating state to switch to a temporarily off state; when the wiper is in the temporarily off state, the ambient occlusion state changes from an obstructed state to an unobstructed state, control the wiper operating state to switch to the on state.

[0058] The specific control logic of step S203 is as follows: When the windshield wipers are in the normally off state, their operating state will not switch regardless of changes in the environmental obstruction status above the vehicle. When the windshield wipers are in the on state, and the environmental obstruction status above the vehicle changes from an unobstructed state to an obstructed state, and the duration of this obstructed state is not less than a preset threshold, the windshield wipers are controlled to switch to a temporarily off state. The preset threshold can be set to several seconds, such as 2 seconds. Introducing the duration judgment ensures that the windshield wipers will not temporarily turn off when the vehicle quickly passes over an overpass or other short obstructions, preventing frequent opening and closing of the wipers due to immediate restarting after temporary closing. When the windshield wipers are in the temporarily off state, and the environmental obstruction status changes from an obstructed state to an unobstructed state, the windshield wipers are controlled to automatically switch back to the on state. Through the above settings, the normally off state and the temporarily off state of the windshield wipers can be effectively distinguished, avoiding unnecessary automatic start-up or continuous operation of the wipers, and improving the accuracy and rationality of wiper control.

[0059] S3. When the wiper control mode is manual, a manual motor control command is generated based on the user's operation to control the wiper's working state. In manual control mode, the user sends a control lever position signal to the controller of the wiper intelligent control system by operating the wiper control lever. The controller generates a manual motor control command based on the control lever position signal, and uses this command to control the wiper motor's on / off state, movement speed, etc. This setting prioritizes the execution of user-issued control commands in manual control mode, ensuring the user's control and effectively improving the user's driving experience.

[0060] This method enables the following: when the windshield wipers are on in rainy weather, if there are environmental obstructions above the vehicle that shield it from rain, the wipers can be automatically switched to a temporary off state; when the vehicle moves out of the obstruction and the area above is no longer obstructed, the wipers can be automatically switched back to the on state. This control method is particularly suitable for road sections with many tunnels, which can effectively reduce the frequency of drivers manually operating the wipers, reduce the complexity of driving operations, and improve driving safety.

[0061] Meanwhile, this method is also applicable to various scenarios where vehicles temporarily stop under obstructions and then leave. For example, when a vehicle enters under the canopy of a toll station lane, the windshield wipers automatically turn off temporarily and turn on automatically after exiting the canopy; when a vehicle enters an underground parking garage, rain shelter, or other obstructed area to pick up or drop off passengers, the windshield wipers automatically turn off temporarily and turn on automatically after exiting the obstructed area; when a vehicle enters an obstructed area such as a lane under a bridge, the windshield wipers automatically turn off temporarily and turn on automatically after exiting the lane under a bridge. This significantly improves the intelligence and ease of operation of vehicle driving and can meet the needs of drivers in different driving scenarios.

[0062] Furthermore, since this application identifies continuous, large-area environmental obstructions that can provide shelter from rain, such as tunnel roofs, tollbooth canopies, bridge bottoms, and garage roofs, the detection of these environmental obstructions is easier and more readily identifiable compared to traditional rainfall detection techniques. This method can accurately control the timing of windshield wiper activation and temporary deactivation, and the control logic does not require the introduction of network or GPS signals. This effectively avoids the shortcomings of windshield wipers failing to respond promptly and accurately due to signal problems in environments with weak or even interrupted signals, such as tunnels and underground garages, further improving control reliability.

[0063] It should be understood that the application of this application is not limited to the examples above. Those skilled in the art can make improvements or modifications based on the above description, and all such improvements and modifications should fall within the protection scope of the appended claims. Those skilled in the art can understand that implementing all or part of the processes of the above embodiments and making equivalent changes according to the claims of this application still fall within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A smart control method for windshield wipers, characterized in that, include: Get the working status of the windshield wipers; Obtain the ambient occlusion status of the area above the vehicle; The working state of the windshield wipers is controlled based on the working state of the wipers and the environmental obstruction state.

2. The intelligent wiper control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of controlling the windshield wiper's operating state based on the wiper's operating state and the ambient obstruction state includes: When the windshield wipers are in the on state, the environmental obstruction state changes from an unobstructed state to an obstructed state, and the duration of the obstruction state is not less than a preset threshold, the windshield wipers are controlled to switch to a temporarily off state. When the windshield wipers are in a temporarily off state and the environmental obstruction state changes from obstructed to unobstructed, the windshield wipers are switched to the on state.

3. The intelligent wiper control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method of controlling the windshield wiper's operating state based on the wiper's operating state and the ambient obstruction state further includes: When the windshield wipers are in the normally off state, the windshield wiper operating state will not be switched.

4. The intelligent wiper control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Get the wiper control mode; When the wiper control mode is automatic control mode, the wiper operation mode is controlled based on the wiper operation status and the environmental obstruction status. When the wiper control mode is manual control mode, a manual control command for the motor is generated based on the user's operation to control the working state of the wiper.

5. The intelligent wiper control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The acquisition of the environmental occlusion status of the area above the vehicle includes: Acquire the reflected echo data formed by millimeter-wave signals emitted towards the area above the vehicle; The reflected echo data is analyzed and processed to extract its feature information; Based on the aforementioned feature information, the environmental occlusion state is determined.

6. A smart control system for windshield wipers, characterized in that, Includes a controller and a windshield wiper, wherein the windshield wiper includes a wiper motor; The controller is configured to: acquire the working status of the windshield wipers; acquire the environmental occlusion status of the area above the vehicle; and, based on the working status of the windshield wipers and the environmental occlusion status, send corresponding automatic motor control commands to the windshield wiper motor to control the working status of the windshield wipers. The wiper motor is configured to receive and execute the motor automatic control command.

7. The intelligent wiper control system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to: When the windshield wiper is in the normally off state, no automatic motor control command is issued; When the wiper is in the on state, the environmental obstruction state changes from an unobstructed state to an obstructed state, and the duration of the obstruction state is not less than a preset threshold, a first motor automatic control command is sent to the wiper motor to control the wiper to switch to a temporary off state. When the windshield wiper is in a temporarily off state and the environmental obstruction state changes from obstructed to unobstructed, a second motor automatic control command is sent to the windshield wiper motor to control the windshield wiper to switch to the on state.

8. The intelligent wiper control system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The system also includes a mode switch, which is configured to switch the wiper control mode between an automatic control mode and a manual control mode. When the wiper control mode is automatic control mode, the wiper operation mode is controlled based on the wiper operation status and the environmental obstruction status. When the wiper control mode is manual control mode, a manual control command for the motor is generated based on the user's operation to control the working state of the wiper.

9. The intelligent wiper control system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The system also includes a millimeter-wave radar, which is configured to: transmit millimeter-wave signals to an area above the vehicle, collect reflected echo data, and send the reflected echo data to the controller; The controller is further configured to: acquire reflected echo data formed by millimeter-wave signals emitted toward the area above the vehicle; analyze the reflected echo data to extract feature information; and determine the environmental occlusion state based on the feature information.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that, Including the windshield wiper intelligent control system as described in any one of claims 6-9.

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